If your monthly use hovers around the 2,000 kWh mark, you’ll be spending around $2,000 per year on electricity bills no matter which REP you choose. With that level of investment, you may be tempted by an offer to get something extra in return — like rewards. Direct Energy is notable because it’s a part of American Express’s Plenti rewards program. For every dollar you spend on your Direct Energy plan, you earn a “Plenti point,” which you can then redeem on purchases with retail partners like Macy’s, AT&T, and Exxon.

Electric bills for customers in the Houston area can more than double in summer months, mainly because air conditioning. Not coincidentally, electric rates also rise in the summer months because of this increase in demand. The most dramatic rate increases occur in month-to-month plans, but electric rates do increase across the board for all fixed-rate contract lengths.

In Texas' deregulated energy market, customers must pick their own electricity provider, all of which offer different rates per hour of power usage. You can shop for other power plans on the state-run website, www.powertochoose.org, or try an alternative website, like www.texaspowerguide.com to help find the cheapest plan. Keep in mind that many retail electricity contracts carry penalties for early termination.

CenterPoint Intelligent Energy Solutions LLC, IES, which manages TrueCost, is not the same legal entity as CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (CERC) or CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC (CEHE), nor is IES regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas or the Public Utility Commission of Texas. You do not have to buy products or services from IES in order to continue to receive quality regulated services from CERC or CEHE.

Not only does Amigo Energy feature useful resources on our blog, but we have the right technology to help you track your residential electricity usage and take actions that may help with energy savings. We offer the latest technology (phone apps, smart thermostats, and even smart sprinklers) so you can worry less about your electric bill and focus on what really matters in life.

Agera Energy is a leading supplier of electricity and natural gas; serving residential, small business and large commercial /industrial customers across the United States with one of the finest trained sales staff and first-class customer service representatives in the industry. Founded in 2014 the company operates in 16 markets and offers customized electricity and natural gas plans, fixed and variable contract terms, and renewable energy options.

But competition didn't necessarily end up cutting prices, according to the report. One contributing factor is confusion among customers as they try to choose among scores of retail electricity providers and the overwhelming variation of plans, leading many to just stick with familiar companies rather than look for better deals, according to the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power .

No deposit electricity plans also offer a subjective advantages. Thanks to smart meters, electricity providers can offer you smartphone apps that send notifications when your balance is getting low, so you can purchase more kilowatt-hours before your account drops to zero. However, this also means you will track your energy consumption more frequently, as opposed to only once per billing period. Energy consumers who monitor their kilowatt-hour usage tend to consume less energy that those who only wait for power bills once per billing period.

The more cool air you lose, the harder your air conditioning unit works and the higher your electricity bill will be. Install blinds, hang curtains or get storm windows made to keep cool air from seeping out. Even mesh screens, on the outside of your home, will help deflect solar radiation. You might even consider replacing old windows that leak cold air and let in heat.

Fixed-Rate Plans: These plans are steady and predictable; the price per kWh you sign up for will remain that same for the entirety of your contract. (The only changes in your bill will be from forces outside of your REP's control, like changes in TDU fees, or changes in federal, state, or local laws.) Often fixed-rate plans will have a slightly higher price per kWh than others, but you're paying for the predictability. They're great if you live by your budget – and even greater if you happen to sign up when rates are low. The fixed-rate plans of our five Texas providers typically started at 12 months, with some extending up to three years, but we spotted a couple from Reliant that offered fixed rates for six month contracts as well.
Not only does Amigo Energy feature useful resources on our blog, but we have the right technology to help you track your residential electricity usage and take actions that may help with energy savings. We offer the latest technology (phone apps, smart thermostats, and even smart sprinklers) so you can worry less about your electric bill and focus on what really matters in life.
Quick Electricity prepaid electricity is for Texas residents who prefer to pay ahead for their electric service rather than receive an end of the month bill. Benefits of prepaid lights include a fast, same day electric connection, avoiding a credit check, zero down, daily usage reminders, easy payments and in some cases, free power. Our service territory includes the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Houston and surrounding areas, Abilene, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Odessa, Waco, McAllen, the Rio Grande Valley and 400+ Texas towns in between. Call us now (877) 509-8946 to sign up for prepaid energy or order online day or night.
Should you choose a short-term, long-term, month-to-month, or prepaid plan? The short answer: it depends on your specific needs. How long do you anticipate living at your location? Are you deciding in the peak season (summer in Houston) or off season? All electricity providers in Houston offer a broad selection of plans for different contract lengths. Many also offer month-to-month and prepaid electricity plans. The bottom line is that everyone’s needs are different and all contract term lengths offer advantages and disadvantages.

Since that humble beginning, Ambit has welcomed over a million Customers and generated over $1.2 billion in revenue. Chris and Jere’s dream of creating the finest and most-respected retail energy provider in America has driven Ambit’s success. Read Ambit’s full story, and find out more about how you can be a part of this incredible and ongoing success story.

Fixed energy plans offer you a chance to compare energy rates in your home or business energy market. You then choose an energy rate and plan that best works for you. When you choose a fixed rate option your rate never changes for the duration that you choose. You enjoy the same prices for your electricity or natural gas service no matter what the energy markets do.
Even though customers in deregulated cities routinely pay more for electricity, there is a bright spot. The gap between the average price paid for electricity between deregulated cities like Houston and regulated cities like San Antonio have dwindled to the narrowest point ever to 8.8 percent. Back in 2006, customers in deregulated cities were paying nearly 47 percent more for electricity than their counterparts in regulated cities.
Gone are the days when you had to contact electric companies to discover their rates, and negotiate a better deal on your own. Today, Vault Electricity does the work for you, handling the entire process of finding the best Texas electricity rates and plans from providers that have a pedigree of business stability, customer service, eco-friendliness, and financial transparency. This allows you to shop for electricity in just a few minutes, right from your computer.
Although electricity prices in the UK aren't cheap some countries have it much worse. In this article I'm going compare internationally to look at who is paying more $/kWh for their energy. I’ve gathered some numbers and crunched a little data to see who is really paying a lot for their power. For my neighbour here in the UK I’ll add a bit more data at the end.

Where should you shop for electricity? Houstonians have the power to choose from an overwhelming variety of energy suppliers, plans, and options. If you live in the Houston metro area and your local electric utility is CenterPoint, over 50 different retail electricity providers currently offer electricity plans in your area. Each of these electricity providers offer sites, tools, and information on how to switch plans and providers. However, their information is often filled with electricity rates that are difficult to compare because of things like introductory rates, bill credits, narrow usage levels, unexpected fees, and legalese buried in the EFLs. Fortunately, Houston homes and businesses have electricity shopping options that make the process much simpler.

As they’re advertised, the Digital Discount plan appears to save you $4 — but only if you use 32 percent of your energy on the weekends, which is the stat Reliant used to create the average price it advertises. Say you often travel for business during the week, and are only home cranking the air conditioner on weekends. If your energy use skews to 55 percent weekend use (for Reliant, that means 8 pm on Friday through 12 am Monday), suddenly Truly Free Weekends becomes a much better deal.

Then, in 2002, Texas deregulated the electricity market and everybody cheered! Except that, sure, deregulation opened up the market to competition that may (or may not) have resulted in lower rates, but it introduced a whole host of other issues. These issues may not have been factors before but now they’re critical when you’re on the look-out for cheap Houston electricity providers.